Les voix Lyonnaises - Lyons new cycle network
Illustration
Brand Design
Signage
Spatial Design
Voix Lyonnaises is a signage and identity project created for Les Voies Lyonnaises, a new network of bike paths in Lyon designed to make cycling more accessible. The brief asked us to rethink the signage system to better welcome beginners and children, making cycling feel intuitive, safe, and fun.
I approached this challenge by imagining each bike lane as a character, with its own voice, mood, and way of speaking, transforming the urban journey into a conversation with the city itself.
At the heart of the project are a series of playful illustrations that bring each bike route to life. Using a colourful, fun, expressive style, I created characters that reflect the atmosphere of each path : some are chatty and energetic, others more calm or reassuring.
These figures interact with cyclists through speech bubbles painted on the ground and printed visuals around town. The illustration style is accessible to everyone, designed to be especially engaging for children, without excluding adult riders.
To bring these voices into the physical world, I developed a multi-surface signage system. Messages appear directly on the ground in the form of speech bubbles, or even on the walls, guiding cyclists along their route with simple, friendly phrases.
These are paired with vertical signage and larger illustrations positioned along key points of the journey. By playing with strategic placement and scale, the signage becomes part of the urban landscape, easy to spot, hard to ignore, and full of personality.
To stay within a child friendly identity, I developed a dynamic range of stickers. Each featuring a powerful message, combined with its dedicated character. These could be given to children to stick on their bikes, helmets or even around town.
Displaying the visual branding of Les Voix Lyonnaises in as many ways as possible makes it easier for people to remember it and therefore respect it.
This project explores how visual identity and storytelling can reshape how we move through the city. Instead of treating signage as purely functional, Voix Lyonnaises imagines it as a dialogue, an interactive system, something that responds to the mood of each route, offers encouragement, and even makes us smile.
At its core, this project is about making public space feel more human, one bike ride at a time.
